Power's giant killing run comes to an end

In the end Essendon won by 24 points, but the Bombers suffered a shattering blow with captain Jobe Watson set to miss four weeks of football after breaking his collarbone.

Watson has been in inspiring form for his team despite the pressure of the ongoing ASADA investigation into the club and his recent admission that he had taken banned anti-obesity drug AOD-9604, but his match was over inside the opening quarter after he was bumped by Port Adelaide's Justin Westhoff.

The Essendon skipper got straight up but soon went down to the rooms for treatment.

He was subbed off a short time later.

The Bombers' Dyson Heppell (24 disposals, seven marks), told Grandstand that his team were still managing to avoid being distracted by off-field dramas and continue to win.

"All of the off-field stuff goes to the back of your mind on game day," he said.

"The club's coping very well, we've got a very tight knit group at the moment, and (we're) playing some good footy so it's fantastic."

Heppell said that the other senior players had stepped up their game in the absence of Watson.

"That's a massive improvement for our group in the last couple of years," he said.

"It was fantastic for the other leaders to step up and get us over the line."

He singled out on-baller Brent Stanton, who played the second half of the game severely restricted by a leg injury, but kept going and kicked a vital goal for his side.

Without Watson, the Bombers kicked six goals in a row in the second term to set up a handy 25-point lead at half-time.

But the Power responded strongly with goals from Angus Monfries, Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard.

Just when it looked like the visitors had Essendon's measure, the home side struck back with three straight goals to push the margin back out out to 25 points at the final change.

The Power had their chances to win but kicked 3.9 in the final term to fall short of an upset victory.

Port Adelaide's Robbie Gray (20 disposals, three goals) told Grandstand his team had taken it to the top four side but failed to finish off.

"We thought we matched Essendon for a lot of the game," he said.

"But we couldn't put four quarters together and it cost us in the end."

The win puts Essendon back in third spot on the ladder at the end of round 15, while Port Adelaide remains a game clear in eighth.